China is ready to step on the NBA courts once again. It took them eight long years to come back into the picture of American basketball. So, this return is quite special. Reports are out of the CBA and Portland, the Brooklyn Nets are close to filling one of the two remaining spots in their team. The squad is entrusting their faith in the 21-year-old Chinese shooting guard Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui. The 6’8 youngster is likely the new source of hope for the Nets.

Becoming the first Chinese basketball player since Zhou Qi in 2016, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui comes with a lot of promises. With his impressive stint at Guangdong Loong Lions in the CBA, the sharp-shooter Cui averaged 15.6 PPG in the ’23-24 season. An already impressive record by the youngster has found himself a seat among the elites of the NBA. Let’s find out more about the new Chinese protege.

Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui, the Guangdong Loong Lion’s star and Portland Trail Blazers Summer League recruit

Jacky Cui—pronounced “tsway”—first saw the limelight with his impressive appearance at the NBA Global Academy in Australia. He got to work closely with the league’s Head of International Basketball Development, Chris Ebersole. Meanwhile, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui’s near-perfect shots have quickly made him a standout rookie in the 2024 class. With a 6’9 wingspan and 34″ max vertical, the new star from the Land of the Dragons has the ideal build and shot for the NBA. Moreover, Yongxi Cui impressed by hitting 23 of 25 shots in a 3-point drill at the G League pre-draft camp.

You just cannot pass this as a sheer act of impression. It was more than that. Someone who witnessed the 21-year-old live would say he was born with the talent of handling a basketball with grace. Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui is currently the youngest member of the Chinese team and had the chance to play in the NCAA. But guess what he chose? The Chinese Basketball Association. However, Yongxi agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland Trail Blazers.

Since no official contracts were signed, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui pursued a two-way with an unidentified team, as reported by veteran NBA and Portland writer Sean Highkin. Over the last few weeks, Cui’s decision appears to have been made with strong intent. Some recent reports suggest the Brooklyn Nets are close to signing the Chinese shooting guard- they have two two-way openings currently. However, the Nets have neither agreed nor denied this fact. So, the suspense prevails. Moreover, Cui’s huge fan following has their eyes fixed on all the ongoing developments.

Jacky Cui’s fans are looking out for their favorite star as he’s nearing his NBA contract

Just like all other athletes, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui has a strong cohort of fans from his native country. His craze among his brethren is pretty intense. As per sources, a sizeable delegation of Chinese media primarily focused on Cui’s practice sessions with the Portland Trail Blazers and contests at the Las Vegas Summer League. Surprisingly Yongxi Cui isn’t the first Chinese basketball player to attract so much audience. More than a decade ago, Yi Jianlian caught the attention of a similar contingent of his native media when he played for the New Jersey Nets.

Well, if the news and rumors are true, the Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui will find himself at the Brooklyn Nets. And of course, the large contingent of Chinese media will follow every single move that he takes. Even the information about his experience on American soil and more will reach Cui’s fans and family. More importantly, Yongxi Cui will become one of the basketball blessings from China.

Following the path of Zhou Qi, the iconic Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and others, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui is most likely to become the next Chinese star in eight years. Yes, Qi was the last from the rich land in 2016. The journey has been long, but the result- fruitful. Now, let’s take a quick look at the Chinese players who’ve left their marks in the NBA.

Chinese basketball giants who’ve braced the NBA arena

The first name that comes to our minds when we talk about Chinese basketball players is Yao Ming. He was already a legend in his native country- a larger-than-life figure for his compatriots. The man who stretched seven-and-a-half feet into space changed the face of basketball forever. Ming joined the Houston Rockets in 2002 right after being replaced at the Shanghai Sharks in the CBA. Yao Ming took center stage in the NBA and once again proved his mettle in the sport. In his eight-season stay, he averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds and was named to the All-NBA team five times.

Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks small forward Yi Jianlian became another big name in basketball. Debuting in 2007 with the Milwaukee Bucks. He too started his journey from the CBA and found the road to American Basketball. As a member of the Guangdong Tigers, Jianlian averaged a career-high 24.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Yi Jianlian was teammates with Vince Carter during his state at the New Jersey Nets. However, Zhou Qi became the last Chinese player in the NBA.

In 2016, Zhou Qi was added to the NBA Draft and was selected 43rd overall by the Houston Rockets. Qi’s career in the NBA was short: with just 19 games across two seasons, the Chinese player found his way out soon. Zhou returned to the CBA as a member of the Flying Tigers. In 2021, Zhou Qi joined South East Melbourne Phoenix in the Australian NBL.

While some players from China had an impressive stay in the NBA, others had a rather disappointing time. However, it’ll be too early to judge what the future might look like for Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui. But given his skills and talents, things might be in his favor soon, who knows?